Colorado Rockies spring training: 3 interesting quotes we heard

On Wednesday, Charlie Blackmon said that, upon first hearing the news about Nolan Arenado being traded to St. Louis, he thought about no longer being able to team up on a daily basis with one of his friends. Unfortunately, this is something that’s become common for Blackmon, going back to DJ LeMahieu (now with the New York Yankees) who he lived with, worked out with, and even got a helping hand from when he infamously ran out of gas.

Now, settling in for spring training at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Blackmon says that the reality of a post-Arenado purple-colored world has settled in … and it’s not as scary as he thought it might be.

"“How do we move forward in the wake of his absence? That’s the part that doesn’t scare me as much it did initially when it first happened when I look around and I see the talent in the locker room, who’s going to replace him and what it means for our team. I think we still have a good team. We have lots of talent.”"

It’s very apparent that the Rockies, from Freeland to Gray to Blackmon, are ensuring that the world hears that they believe in what Colorado still has in the clubhouse. The “no one believes in us, so let’s prove them wrong” mentality has been an early theme of Rockies spring and don’t expect it to change any time soon. Expect the Rockies to have a chip on their shoulder all season.

Blackmon is one of the leaders on the team, both on the field and in the clubhouse. He’s also one of the faces of the franchise in the eyes of many outside Denver who couldn’t name many Rockies outside of Story and Blackmon. His words when meeting with the media are always measured and have purpose. That was evident again on Wednesday.